The language of saying 'Yes' to God's love

Today, I struggled. Not in the sense that I couldn't cope or was finding it hard to carry on - I struggled  with words. I found the need for suitably descriptive words to be inexhaustible today.

Thankful. Abundant. Gracious. Faithful. Protection. Covenant. Promise. Spirit. Fire. Wind. Water. Love. Words that I used or heard today in one way or another.

We forget though - we don't always need words to express ourselves or to describe the scene. There were many moments during our Pentecost Sunday worship service where words seemed almost unnecessary.

This morning, I listened to a personal testimony of a lady committing her life to Christ. She talked about how God called her back from the edge of a bridge and how he surrounded her with people who befriended and discipled her, and reintroduced Jesus into her life. I saw her kneel with her two young children. And I saw the water splash from the baptismal font, flow out of the Pastor's hands, and trickle down their faces onto their clothes. They were cleansed. And, we didn't need any words. We saw his grace.

I heard four young adults - two of them our own children - confess publicly that Jesus Christ is their Lord, and Saviour. We listened to their faith journey as they described the moments in their lives when they accepted Jesus as their Saviour. As a father, I learned for the first time that a few years ago privately, my son said 'Yes' to God's invitation during a SERVE event and my daughter said 'Yes' while attending a GEMS' retreat. This morning, they responded to God's calling publicly. And, we didn't need any words. We saw his faithfulness.

I witnessed a battle. Satan doesn't like to lose - and he doesn't like being reminded that he lost 2000 years ago on Calvary to Jesus. I saw a 'spiritual wrench' thrown into the life of one of God's children in a failed attempt to thwart this morning's service. I'll never forget the look in her face when in defiance to this attack, the words, "Jesus will protect me" were spoken with such fiery conviction. I hugged her. And, we didn't need any words. We saw his protection.

I saw promises fulfilled. Promises made by friends and family to God that we would train our children in his ways, and would remind them that they were God's own children. Promises made by two young parents amid the whirlwind of demands made by twin babies who were completely oblivious to the significance of the moment. And, I saw these same friends and family celebrate under a tent 6,181 days after they made those promises on June 21, 1998. And, we didn't need words. We saw his fellowship in the communion of saints.

Words...yup...there're useful occasionally. But, there's a conversation going on around us that you can only see and hear with your eyes. It's the language of  saying 'Yes' to God's love.